March 06, 2012

One Life to Live, Far East Style

In one of history’s more absurd acts of totalitarianism, China has banned Buddhist monks in Tibet from reincarnating without government permission. According to a statement issued by the State Administration for Religious Affairs, the law, which goes into effect next month and strictly stipulates the procedures by which one is to reincarnate, is "an important move to institutionalize management of reincarnation."

If the Chinese had the sense God gave a grapefruit, they'd slap a hefty tax on the afterlife. It would be amusing to watch them try to collect.

Posted by Cassandra at March 6, 2012 07:40 AM

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Comments

Seen it months if not years ago. It's the PRC's attempt to "delegitimize" the next Dalai Lama. After all, if the next one claims to be the current one reincarnate, and the current one did not receive permission (which he won't), then he CAN'T be the lawful Dalai Lama, right? Instead, they'll put up their own "legitimate" Lama.

It's "an important move to institutionalize management of reincarnation." No more of this higgledy-piggledy approach: the afterlife is too important to be left to markets. We need certified experts to ensure that reincarnation opportunities are distributed fairly and scientifically. Predictably, some will claim that the benefits of the new system are illusory, but struggling families have a moral claim on the supernatural resources of those among us who have been doing pretty well for themselves.

I once worked with an insurance company on an inquiry from a wealthy person who was going to have his body frozen cryogenically at death. He wanted insurance that when he came back to life (when science was able to restore frozen bodies to life) that he would be wealthy once more. Of course, all of his current wealth would be dissipated on his death via his will. We didn't find the guy a solution he was willing to pay for.